RETRO: PICTURES: Doncaster in flames

Darren Burke

There have been a series of major fires in Doncaster over the years - and we've delved back into our archives to reprint some pictures of the most dramatic.

From the Corn Exchange blaze which devastated one of Doncaster's oldest buildings in 1994 to store fires such as the ones at Littlewoods in 1996, Cantors in 1985 or even as far back as 1938 when flames ripped through Woolworths, major fires have brought the town to a standstill many times down the decades.

The aftermath of the Main Stand fire at Belle Vue

Doncaster Rovers' Belle Vue ground was damaged in the summer of 1995 after a deliberate fire in the Main Stand while Campsmount School was also devastated by an inferno in 2009.

And there have been numerous factory blazes which have devastated businesses too - Cartonplast at Shaw Lane was badly damaged after a huge fireball in 2007.

Here are some striking images of some of those incidents from our archives.

The blaze which destroyed the Littlewoods store in Doncaster in 1996.

Fire crews tackle the Corn Exchange blaze in January 1994

The aftermath of the fire at Cantors furniture store in 1985.

An aerial view of the Corn Exchange devastation

The Woolworths blaze in 1938.

The interior of the Corn Exchange was gutted after flames ripped through the building in 1994.

Pupils were left in tears after Campsmount School was destroyed by a huge blaze in 2009.